In what was a special night for Ronaldo, the forward and Messi made the cut for FIFPro Men’s World XI for a record 15th consecutive year.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have become the first players in history to make FIFA’s FIFPro Men’s World XI for 15 years in a row.
So what’s so special about this one? It’s the only player award voted for exclusively by footballers. There are no journalists, coaches or anyone else involved – only professional players can vote.
For the 2021 award, FIFA said almost 19,000 football players voted for the world’s best XI.
Ronaldo and Messi unsurprisingly headline the line-up for a record-extending 15th consecutive time. The duo first made the FIFPro Men’s World XI in 2007 and have never dropped out ever since.
Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland joined the pair to form a deadly attacking quadrant.
Italy’s Euro 2020 winners Gianluigi Donnarumma, Leonardo Bonucci, and Jorginho also made the cut, as did Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, Real Madrid’s David Alaba, Manchester City duo Kevin De Bruyne and Ruben Dias.
Who missed out?
The most notable absentees were Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Despite finishing third in the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year awards, Salah had no spot in the XI. Mendy, meanwhile, won FIFA’s Goalkeeper of the Year prize but didn’t make the cut either.
Other absentees included Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini as well as France strikers Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe.
To see the full list of winners from The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony, visit the link here.
Most FIFPRO appearances by a player
| Player | Apps | Years |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 15 | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| Lionel Messi | 15 | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| Sergio Ramos | 11 | 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| Andrés Iniesta | 9 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| Dani Alves | 8 | 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| Xavi | 6 | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| Marcelo | 6 | 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| John Terry | 5 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Iker Casillas | 5 | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 |
| Luka Modrić | 5 | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Gerard Piqué | 4 | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 |
| Manuel Neuer | 4 | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| Ronaldinho | 3 | 2005, 2006, 2007 |
| Kaká | 3 | 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| Gianluigi Buffon | 3 | 2006, 2007, 2017 |
| Steven Gerrard | 3 | 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Carles Puyol | 3 | 2007, 2008, 2010 |
| Thiago Silva | 3 | 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| Toni Kroos | 3 | 2014, 2016, 2017 |
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